And It Begins
by Eleri McCleod
Summary: Part 3 in the "Worth Fighting For" series. Knowing just how much they both stand to lose, Faith begins her relationship with Jack.
1. Part 1

A quick note: Thank you to everyone who sent encouragement over the past year. RL has kept its claws firmly around the keyboard and me away from it. Your enjoyment of this little series has been wonderful to see.

"And It Begins" is complete and, as usual, I will post one part a week until done. Happy reading!

* * *

TITLE: And It Begins

AUTHOR: Eleri McCleod

EMAIL: elerimc (at symbol) gmail . com

STATUS: complete

CATEGORY: Challenge response, drama, series

PAIRINGS: Faith/Jack

SPOILERS: BtVS – none; SG-1 – none

SEASON: BtVS – post series; SG-1 – 5

SERIES/SEQUEL INFO: Part 3 of the "Worth Fighting For" Series. Can be read on its own, but will make more sense if the other two stories are read first - "Worth Fighting For" and "Every Story Has Two Sides."

CONTENT LEVEL: FR15, T, 15+, take your pick

CONTENT WARNINGS: nothing you wouldn't see on TV

SUMMARY: Knowing just how much they both stand to lose, Faith begins her relationship with Jack.

DISCLAIMER: Buffy the Vamipre Slayer and its characters are the property of Joss Whedon and Mutant Enemy . Stargate SG-1 and its characters are the property of MGM, World Gekko Corp and Double Secret productions. I'm just borrowing them for a little while and will return them unharmed. No copyright infringement is intended.

ARCHIVE: TtH, Jackfic, , Gateworld, any others please ask

AUTHORS' NOTES: This has been sitting for almost a year and after much prodding and gnashing of teeth, it's done. I hope you enjoy this part of Jack and Faith's life. Special thanks go to Lynette for her beta skills. Without her all sorts of mistakes would slip through into the final version. As always, any and all feedback is appreciated.

* * *

He'd said dress casual and then refused to expand on it.

Staring at her reflection Faith found herself in a place she'd almost forgotten about – too casual or not enough. "Men," she muttered to her mirror, tossing the blouse in her left hand toward the vicinity of the bed. "Don't they understand there's casual and then there's casual," she continued, the subtle stress on the word bringing a grimace to her face. "Am I supposed to wear first-date casual or night on the town casual or getting muddy casual?" Another blouse joined the brightly colored mass at the end of her bed. She held the last shirt up over her chest, twisted and turned at all angles and tossed that one as well.

"Screw it. This is going to have to do." Already familiar with the chill that settled in at night in Colorado Springs, she'd slipped on her most comfortable pair of leather pants. Okay, she admitted silently, it helped they looked great. She'd managed to snag Jack's attention three nights ago in the bar. Now she needed to keep his attention and she was willing to use every feminine wile she possessed to do it. The crimson shirt was a step up from her normal t-shirt and contrasted nicely with her hair. She'd grab a jacket on the way out and hope it was enough, wherever they were going.

Done futzing with her wardrobe, she went into the small living room of her apartment. Jack would be arriving any minute if her experience in the future was anything to go by. He was almost frustratingly punctual. A confident knock rattled the door slightly and she sent a glance at the clock on the small entertainment center that had come with the apartment. Yep, five minutes early. For Jack that was right on time.

The smile was still on her face when she opened the door, a tiny flutter jumping through her stomach. "Hi."

"Hi back," he said, his grin starting another flutter. He held out a single white rose, the palest blush of color shadowing its interior.

"It's beautiful," Faith said, absurdly pleased with his old-fashioned gesture. "Come on in. I'll get some water for this." Her fingers brushed his as she accepted the rose, the warmth of his skin a familiar sensation. She left him in the living room to explore on his own while she dug out the only container she owned that wouldn't disgrace the beautiful rose. The simple glass vase was a slender column with absolutely no adornment. Rinsing off the packing dust, Faith realized this was the first time since she'd spontaneously bought the thing in Cleveland it was actually going to be used. After placing the rose just so in the vase, she turned to find Jack leaning against the kitchen door jamb, arms comfortably crossed over his chest. "What are you smiling for?" she asked, lips curving up as well.

"Just enjoying the view."

Instant heat rushed over her face at the tossed off compliment. First she was worried over clothes, now blushing? Oh, Faith, she told herself, you are so toast. Since she had no clue how to respond, she said nothing, merely walking past him into the living room.

He followed quietly behind her and waited until she'd placed the vase and flower atop the entertainment center. "It looks good there."

"It does," she agreed, nodding. Turning to face him, she took a quick moment to absorb his presence in her apartment. He fit. For some reason she'd been half-afraid he would look out of place in her small home. And according to his khakis and polo shirt, she'd chosen the correct level of casual. She'd have time to work on his expounding abilities later. "So are you going to tell me what we're doing tonight or am I stuck guessing?"

Jack chuckled, hands tucked into his pockets. "I wouldn't want to spoil the surprise. Although you might want to bring a jacket."

With a mock glare, she grabbed her non-battered leather jacket from the small closet and gestured toward the door. "I'm ready to be surprised."

* * *

The next few hours were ones that Jack would remember as some of the most enjoyable he'd had in years. When he'd agreed to go out with Faith – had it really been only three days ago – he'd been at a complete loss over what to do next. Where would they go? What would they do? Their age difference alone was enough to make him question his sanity in saying yes in the first place. And if anyone had asked him before he picked her up, he would have told them the night was doomed from the start.

Now, sitting across from her in the small cafe, Jack was pleasantly surprised to know that he couldn't have been more wrong. Instead of the traditional dinner and a movie, he'd opted for an Academy hockey game, with all its requisite calorie-filled junk food, followed by coffee and dessert. Both lighthearted and undemanding, it took away the possibility of awkward silences when they'd find nothing to talk about. Only Jack discovered Faith to be as much of a hockey enthusiast as he was. Shouting at the refs, booing at cheap shots and generally being as loud as Jack, Faith had most definitely been into the match.

And then there was her choice of post-game snack. Jack felt his smile widen as he watched her spear the last bite of the humongous piece of chocolate fudge cake with her fork. Both Jack and their waiter had been dubious at her choice, knowing the size of the monstrosity. Faith had merely smiled, a predatory gleam in her eye, and stated, "Bring it on."

"What's so amusing?" Faith asked, setting the fork down across the crumb spattered plate.

Jack couldn't stifle the grin for anything. The sudden image of a younger, brasher Faith and a basket of chicken strips filled his mind. "Nothing really. It's just nice to see a woman who's not afraid to be seen actually eating."

"Get used to it. I never have been a wilting southern flower."

His body seemed to freeze for a moment at her words. The implied future reference gave birth to a thought he'd kept firmly squashed flat – could this, they, actually go somewhere? "I'll keep that in mind." He must have sounded like his normal self because Faith merely smiled and took a sip of her coffee. Feeling the need for a shift in topic, he steered back toward safer waters. "So do you play hockey as well as you yell at the refs?"

The cup halted three inches from the table as her eyes flew to his, obviously not sure if he was teasing her or not. "I'd say 'pot' but since I haven't seen you play yet you get a short reprieve."

"I take it that's a yes then," he said, adeptly ignoring her return jibe.

"Not really," she admitted, one finger circling the rim of her cup. "I never was one for team sports growing up."

The self-deprecating irony in her voice tugged at something deep inside him. It was yet another tiny thing to tuck away for later thought. "Well maybe I'll show you around the ice sometime."

"Well maybe I'll let you."

They shared a smile Jack felt all the way down to his toes. What was it about this woman that had him throwing out all conventional logic? She was almost half his age and yet she was the one to ask him out. He still didn't know where his brain had disappeared to when he'd said yes. But he simply couldn't wish the decision back. He'd had a great time with her, both at the game and the cafe, despite the improbability with their age gap.

"Excuse me, sir, miss."

Startled, Jack's gaze flew to the young man who'd kept their coffees topped off with diligent efficiency. Although Jack had a suspicion his attention had less to do with a need for a job well done than Faith's smiling thanks at each refill.

"I'm sorry to interrupt, sir, but we're closing the register out," he said, eyes drifting between Jack and Faith as if he really wanted to say something else.

"I didn't realize it was so late," Faith said, glancing to Jack's watch with raised eyebrows.

Ego absurdly happy by her admission, Jack complied with her silent question. "It really is that late, apparently." Nodding his thanks to the young man, Jack took the check and tugged two twenties from his wallet. He set the bills in the fake leather sleeve, looking across the table to Faith. "Ready?"

"Sure." After grabbing her jacket from the seat next to her, Jack extended his hand, waiting for her to take it. His insides tingled slightly as her palm slid over his. He knew she certainly didn't need any help in getting to her feet, but he savored the soft look of surprise on her face as well as the feel of her hand in his. And somehow, after they were headed for the door together, he never did manage to let go until they were separated by the necessity of getting into the truck.

Their silence as he drove through the quiet town was a comfortable nervousness, a subtle tension of 'what do we do now' that seemed to hang in the air. All too soon he was parking the big vehicle in front of her building and they were walking up the steps to her door.

Faith turned to face him, the same grin he'd seen on and off all evening lifting her lips. It floated through his mind what that smile would taste like – chocolate and coffee? Or simply Faith? With a blink he pulled his gaze away from her lips, focusing on her forehead. Get a grip, he ordered himself, stuffing his hands deep into his pockets.

"This was a great evening, Jack," she said, appearing a hell of a lot more comfortable than he was. "And I'd really like to do it again."

"Really?" He didn't sound half as surprised as he felt, which didn't mean a whole lot as Faith burst into a surprised chuckle.

"Yeah, really."

Suddenly, she was only inches away, the smile he'd just been wondering about tantalizingly close. "Okay," he murmured absently, without a clue as to what he'd just agreed. One hand climbed out of its pocket on its own and trailed over her cheek, fingers barely brushing her skin. His pulse filled his ears and liquid tension roiled in his gut, yet it was the most natural thing in the world when he leaned down, his palm cupping her jaw. As if he'd been doing it for years, he met her lips, an overwhelming feeling of right, of coming home filling him, replacing the tension with a banked warmth.

Time simply stopped. No sound intruded. Nothing invaded their small bubble before her door. Faith's mouth was soft, warm, pliant beneath his. His lips burning wherever they touched her, he kept the kiss slow and gentle, exploratory even. Senses whirling from the feel of her, the subtle scent of her shampoo became a fragrance far more precious than the most expensive of perfumes.

Minutes, hours later, they separated, Jack's eyes floating open lazily. So lost in the experience, he hadn't felt her hand come up to rest on his chest. Now, it burned through his jacket and shirt, marking his chest with her warmth. "So," he started, clearing his throat when it came out more like a croak.

"So," she parroted, fingers running in tiny circles against him. "Got any plans for tomorrow night?"

He chuckled, voice far raspier than he would have thought possible from a simple kiss. Although he really couldn't imagine calling what he'd just experienced simple in any way. "I think I do now."

"Good. Call me tomorrow. We'll figure something out." Her voice didn't seem much steadier than his, Jack was pleased to hear.

"Count on it," he said, stepping back slightly so she could dig in her pocket for her key. Before he was ready, she had the door open and was standing inside. "Hey, Faith."

She turned, keys dangling from one hand. "Yeah?"

"I had a great time too." She must have been happy with his comment since she stepped back out of the door and stretched up to press a quick kiss against him. Before he had a chance to do more than register her presence, she was back on the other side of the doorway. "Sleep well."

"You too. I'll see you tomorrow." With one final smile, she closed the door.

Jack waited for the click of the lock before turning to make his way back down the stairs. He felt light, his body strangely disconnected. Pushing the button on the key fob to unlock the truck, he caught a glimpse of his reflection in the window – all sappy smile and wide eyes. He sent a quick glance back up toward Faith's living room window and there she was, leaning against the sill watching him. Smile growing impossibly broader, he lifted a hand in acknowledgment. Realizing as he completed the gesture exactly how juvenile he must look, he decided he didn't care. Faith waved back and he climbed into the truck. Juvenile or not, he hadn't felt so good in a long time.

And he couldn't wait to see what tomorrow would bring.

* * *

Stepping back and closing the door was one of the hardest things she'd ever done. Heart pounding, her gut a roiling mess, Faith leaned her forehead against the coolness of the door and forced her hand off the knob.

Oh, how she'd missed him.

The sound of his voice. The feel of his hand on her skin. That look in his eyes he only gave her. Throughout the entire evening she'd held herself under the tightest of control – holding his hand when she wanted to be in his arms, smiling at his antics during the games when she could have been kissing him. Only the knowledge that if she could hold it together, could give Jack the time to get used to the idea of a them, enabled her to act as if they weren't already married.

She moved slowly, almost reluctantly, over to the window. As much as she wanted yet one more look at him, to prove he was really there, she wasn't sure her heart could take watching him drive away from her. Her hand reached out nonetheless, pushing the curtain aside just as Jack opened the door of his truck. A smile covered his face, one she couldn't help mirroring. As if she'd called his name, he glanced back up toward her window and lifted one hand in acknowledgment.

A burning sensation tingled the back of her throat as she returned the gesture. Faith, you cannot screw this up, she ordered herself, letting the curtain fall back into place. She heard the truck's engine rumble to life, but refused to look again. No, she couldn't stand to see him leave. She'd watch tomorrow, when he came back to her.

With that thought repeating in her head, she flicked off the light and headed for her empty bedroom.

* * *

cont.


	2. Part 2

** See Part 1 for disclaimers and story details.

Author's Notes: First, let me apologize for the late posting. Crappy internet connections have a way of conspiring against me. Thank you everyone for the fb and reception after leaving you hanging for so long! And welcome back into the world of Jack and Faith. Everyone wave and say thanks to Lynette as well - without her you'd be reading something with mistakes all over the place. (veg she hates it when I do that. still veg) As always, any and all feedback is appreciated.

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Part 2

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The last sip of coffee was bitter even though it was still warm. Setting the cup down with a disgusted clink, Jack looked up in time to catch Carter glance quickly away. "What?"

"Nothing, sir."

Carter's face didn't lie any better than her voice. Stifling a sigh, he leaned over the table and pinned her with his out with it stare. "What is it, Carter?" he repeated, not truly certain he wanted her to answer.

She glanced off to the side, then down to the table before meeting his eyes. "Really, sir, it's nothing. You just had this funny little smile on your face."

Instantly, Jack felt his cheeks twitch, the smile trying to return. "I don't have funny little smiles, Carter. I have confident colonel ones." He bravely ignored the snort from his left as Daniel struggled to hold a laugh in check. "And I wasn't smiling to start with."

"You were, O'Neill."

Damn. He was really hoping Teal'c would go along with him on that one. Some friend he was. "So what if I was smiling? Has it suddenly become against the law to smile while having lunch with some friends?"

"Of course not, Jack. Stop being obtuse," Daniel said, laying his fork on the table next to his plate of lasagna. "You're just not one to sit around smiling to himself. Now spill."

If Daniel hadn't been such a close friend for years Jack wouldn't have even bothered to make up something. "It's just been a good week. We haven't run into a single Goa'uld and the worst injury has been a sprained ankle. Aren't those good enough reasons to smile?"

"Not for you."

Shooting the other man a quelling look, he picked up his cup only to remember it was empty. He set it back down with a frown. Why didn't he just tell them about Faith? It wasn't like he was ashamed of her, like he didn't want to be seen with her. He simply wanted to keep her to himself for a little while longer. Then he'd tell the team, introduce them properly. The fact he couldn't explain to himself exactly how they'd gotten started to begin with had nothing to do with his reticence.

And yet he still smiled when he thought about her.

"There it is again, Jack. Sure there's nothing you want to tell us?"

He stood abruptly, chair squealing over the cement. "I'll be in my office when you guys are done having a laugh at my expense." Carter's wide eyes flew up to meet his as he looked around the table, positive he was overreacting but unable to stop it.

"Come on, Jack," Daniel called after him. "You know that's not what we meant."

Ignoring the peace offering, he walked out of the commissary, Teal'c's gaze heavy on his back. He walked blindly through the corridors, responding automatically as people greeted him. Why was he so prickly, anyway? Daniel had said it, he wasn't acting like himself. As a matter of fact, he hadn't been feeling much like himself either. And it was all due to Faith.

Shutting the door quietly behind him, Jack stepped into his office, the smile Carter had teased him about forming once again. No matter how hard he tried it refused to disappear. Even the thought of losing his hard-as-nails-colonel reputation couldn't diminish it.

He might as well admit it – he'd fallen and he'd fallen hard.

The past two weeks had flown by in a blur. Last Monday night's game and dessert with Faith had sparked something he never could have anticipated and they'd spent every evening together since.

Faith had proven to be one surprise after another, each facet drawing him a little closer for a better look. She was so confident about where she was in life and where she wanted to go, yet there was a vulnerability, a tiny slice of uncertainty hidden way down deep. He wasn't sure if she was even aware of it, but he simply had to know what it meant.

There was only one small glitch threatening his bubble – why him? Why Jack O'Neill specifically?

The smile faded, a lead weight taking up residence between his chest and stomach. Faith had searched him out, no question about that. There was also no doubt about the disparity of their ages. Yeah, they'd met briefly six years ago, an evening neither had alluded to in the past week. But that one event didn't seem enough to bring a woman practically to his doorstep, let alone the interest she appeared to have in one busted up colonel.

That thought led to one he wished gone before it had even fully formed. He had plenty of enemies out there, not the least of which was an organization which had already proved it would go to extreme lengths to hurt the SGC and its personnel. Maybe even hire an attractive young woman to seduce a high ranking member of the SGC?

Just the thought stole his ability to breathe.

Shaking fingers pulled his keyboard to the edge of his desk. One minute later Carter's database search program cursor was blinking up at him. Carter had shown him how to access the database almost three years ago, but this was the first time he'd ever thought of using it. His hands trembled over the keys, muscles so tight they were cramping. One quick check. That's all it would take. And then he'd know.

Lungs emptying in a painful heave, his hands fisted over the plastic letters. He couldn't do it. If Faith wasn't what she portrayed he wanted to hear it from her lips, not read it on some computer screen. Slapping the button on the mouse, he closed the window and shoved the keyboard away. And if she was just a woman who'd decided she liked him, Jack didn't want his lack of trust hanging over them. He was going to have enough issues with only his job and what he couldn't tell her to worry about without creating more.

The sick feeling finally faded, leaving him shaky and empty inside. Without thinking about it, he grabbed the phone, dialing quickly.

"Hello?"

Just the sound of her voice steadied him. Yeah, it was time to ask some of those unlovely questions. "Hey. It's me."

"Hey back. I thought you were working today. Or was that just an excuse so you could split from our date early?"

Her words were light, teasing, but Jack could have sworn there was the slightest undercurrent of uneasiness in her voice. If she was a plant, God, she was the best he'd ever seen. "Of course not. I'm at work right now. Are you finished at the gym for the day?"

"Yep. Last lesson duly battered into the ground." The smile was back in her voice. He heard the clank of the gym's door opening and then the sound of cars in the parking lot. "What about you?"

"I've got a couple of hours left here. Why don't you come over when I get home? We can grill or something." He'd never invited her to his house before. He almost held his breath waiting for her answer. The thudding of his pulse in his lungs nearly drowned out her response.

"Really? Jack, I'd love to."

And she'd done it again – tightened his chest and made him feel like he was flying with only a simple change in her voice. He didn't think she was aware of it, but whenever he surprised her with some small indication he wanted their relationship to progress, her voice dropped slightly, a huskiness filling her natural alto. He hoped she didn't realize just how much the sound affected him or he was in big trouble. But for tonight, all he was looking for was dinner and her company. "Yeah. I'll call you when I get out of here. Give you directions."

"All right. I'll talk to you in a little bit then." He waited to hear her phone disconnect before setting the receiver onto the cradle. As much as he didn't want to ask, he had to find out before he got in any deeper.

He was already afraid it was too late to save himself if he was wrong.

* * *

The knock couldn't have surprised him any more than a gunshot even though he'd been expecting it for the last ten minutes. She was here. Nerves jumped up and down his gut as he walked to the door. No date had ever even seen his house, let alone stepped foot in it. Although what he felt for Faith made the term date a ridiculous one, implying a casualness he couldn't pretend anymore.

"You made it," he greeted, stepping aside to let her in. Accepting the invitation of her upturned face, he kissed her lightly, tasting the residual peppermint of the gum she favored. "Mmm. You taste good."

Dropping the plastic grocery bags she carried at their feet, she leaned into him, arms sliding around his neck. "And I think you taste better." Apparently, his little welcoming peck hadn't been enough.

Heat flooded him, his pulse suddenly pounding in his ears and chest. His arms came up, banded around her slender frame to hold her against him. Time lost all meaning as he drank in the feel of her body, her lips. He forgot about ages and motivation. Hell, he barely remembered his own name when she pressed up into him and stroked her tongue along his.

With a groan, he pulled away from her, face flushed and hands itching to explore more than the safe region of her back. "What-" He coughed lightly to clear his throat. "What was that for?" He still sounded like he'd taken sand paper to his vocal cords. She was potent and addictive, a very dangerous combination at the moment.

"Because I felt like it." Faith didn't sound much steadier than he did, a fact Jack took a small delight in. "And I just couldn't help myself."

Smiling broadly, he stepped away before he gave in and kissed her again. The door stopped his retreat and only then did he realize they'd just given all of his neighbors one hell of a show. The heat that had begun to die flamed back to life. He couldn't even manage to shut a door before mauling her. If she wasn't what she appeared. . . Jack squashed the thought before it could finish. He was borrowing trouble and he knew it.

Grabbing the bags at their feet, he closed the door firmly. "Let's get this stuff into the kitchen and get dinner started."

With a smile that said she wasn't finished with him, Faith gestured with one hand. "The kitchen for now. You can give me the full tour later."

Suppressing the shiver at the intent look in her eyes, he led her through the walkway, the weight of her gaze on his back a physical presence. He wondered what had brought out this playfully aggressive side – not just of Faith, but himself as well. Was it his invitation, opening his house to her? Or was she just feeling the pull as strongly as he was? He wasn't some untried young man, inexperienced and led by his emotions. So why did he feel so out of control around this woman? Despite his professional reputation as a rule breaker, he was very careful about who he let into his personal life. His circle of friends was small by both chance and choice. He'd hated the way he'd constantly had to watch what he said around Sara, hated that she knew he had a huge part of his life he couldn't share with her. It was easier to simply not form any attachments to people outside of his little sphere.

And then came Faith.

"Jack?"

He turned with a jerk, bumping his hip against the kitchen table. Faith stood a few feet away, face tight with concern. Just how long had he been standing there lost in thought?

"Hey," she said softly, stepping closer to lay a hand on his arm. "Are you all right?"

"Yeah," he answered, the automatic answer slipping out without thought. Lifting one hand to trail the back of his fingers over her cheek, he nodded. "Yeah. I'm fine."

She searched his face for a long moment, eyes darker than normal. Jack held her gaze, insides melting just a little at her obvious worry. Finally she nodded back and squeezed his arm before turning to the bags they'd set on the table. "We have onions and mushrooms to grill with the steaks. They had some fresh sweet corn at the store as well so I grabbed some. And," she drew out the word, reaching into the second bag with a smug smile. "I found some Kriek."

Jack's eyebrows rose as she pulled the red bottles from the bag. The Belgian beer was hard to find in the States and it was rarer to find someone who'd even heard of it. He hadn't had any since his last assignment in Europe. "Who introduced you to Kriek? It's not a common choice for an American."

"A friend of mine lived in England for a while. Brought some back for me. Some people call it a froo-froo beer, but I think it's great." She was unabashed in her defense of the cherry-flavored beer, setting the four bottle cardboard holder on the table next to the vegetables. "How'd you discover it?"

"I was stationed in Europe a couple of times," he said, carrying the bag of vegetables to the sink. There was no need to mention he'd first tasted the beer while on an intelligence gathering mission and the drink had been just another part of his cover. "I tried it then. A friend suggested it." He heard the slight hint of bitterness in the words and concentrated on rinsing the vegetables carefully. He hadn't thought of Dimitrius in years. And as Faith leaned against the counter next to him, Jack knew now wasn't the time to let himself reminisce. "So tell me about this friend of yours. Any need for me to feel jealous?" Once he asked he realized he was only half-joking.

"Of Willow?" The surprised response settled the tiny voice in the back of his mind. Two weeks, Jack, that's all it's been. Try to remember that. But Faith had continued. "She may swing to both sides, but I'm not really her type."

Jack froze, blinking down at the mushrooms in his wet hands, sure he'd heard her wrong. A quick glance to the side gave him nothing but a mischievous twinkle in her brown eyes and a calm smile. "I take it Willow is. . ." He trailed off, for some reason unable to say it and not very happy at the inability.

"A lesbian. At the moment." The twinkle grew as he continued to stare at her. "Like I said, she kind of goes back and forth."

After a moment, she grinned, a broad expression he just knew was at his expense. "I think this is going to be one of the weirdest conversations we'll ever have."

This time it was Faith who froze, her smile losing about a hundred watts. "I wouldn't be too sure of that. I've led an unusual life."

Not bothering to pat his hands dry, he cupped her jaw, ignoring her started shriek as the cold water met her face. "Then you can tell me more about it while I cook." He pressed a quick kiss to her lips, pleased to feel her return the pressure. "Now go open the door. I'll get the steaks." Not giving her time to retaliate for the wet hands, he crossed the kitchen to the refrigerator. By the time he turned back, Faith had wiped her cheeks dry and was staring over at him, expression contemplative. Somehow he felt like he'd just passed a test he hadn't know he was taking.

Gesturing with the pan of marinating meat, he waggled his eyebrows. "Door, woman. Hop to it."

"Yes, sir, Colonel, sir," she mocked, her poor attempt at attention the worst he'd ever seen. Sliding the glass open with a flourish, she winked at him. "After you."

"Uh huh," he muttered, walking past her. "I know what your game is. You just want to stare at my butt."

Her laughter floated after him as he set the pan on the side of the grill and he grinned. God, he loved her laugh. A slender hand slipping into his back pocket nearly sent his own hand straight into the hot side of the grill.

"Hmm. Maybe age really is the voice of knowledge."

Swallowing against the instantaneous dryness in his mouth, Jack's stomach swirled with a heated tension. Faith's hand squeezed lightly, sending fire racing down to his toes. He couldn't have moved at that moment if someone held a gun to his head. Every bit of his consciousness focused on that hand and the heat that melted into his bones.

With a final pat, she stepped back, the light Colorado wind a sudden gust of ice over his body. "Just so there's no confusion," she stated, steps telling him she was headed back toward the door, "it's a really nice butt."

Jack gasped in a breath, lungs arguing their abuse. Where the hell had that come from? Sure they'd teased and kissed, flirted and held hands the past couple of weeks, but that had just been a whole new level of touchy-feely, as had the kiss they'd shared when Faith had arrived. It had been a long time since Jack had dated, but he wasn't that clueless.

Turning to look back through the sliding glass door, he watched as Faith gathered the last of the mushrooms into a pile on the table next to a cutting board she'd unearthed from his cupboards. It was obvious she wanted their relationship to progress farther than kisses and hand holding.

The question now was what did he want?

* * *

cont.


	3. Part 3 For All Ages version

** See Part 1 for disclaimers and story details.

AUTHORS' NOTES: This is the "For All Ages" version of Part 3. Please be aware that there is an adult version which can be found at

http: //www. tthfanfic. org/story. php? no=18757&chapter=4 (remove spaces)

or by emailing me at elerimc gmail . com (remove spaces) and I will send you the file in either MS Word or OpenOffice by your preference.

I remain humbled and thankful for all of your wonderful comments and enthusiasm for this little series. Without you all, Faith and Jack's story would be a very short one. Special kudos go out to RevDorothyL and Duchess for catching two central themes. If I didn't know any better I'd think you'd both already read this story! vbg Thank you once again, Lynette. I don't know how I keep getting into this adult version problem, but you always help me tone it down appropriately. As always, any and all feedback is appreciated.

* * *

Part 3 (For All Ages version)

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He couldn't pinpoint exactly when it happened, but sometime between swallows of Kriek and bites of steak, their flirting had turned serious. A passing touch on her arm became a gentle slide over her waist. Handing her a napkin had become the perfect opportunity to brush his fingers over the back of her hand. As she helped him carry dishes to the sink, her body would pass close enough he could feel the heat of her skin. Washing the dishes became merely an excuse for her to stand pressed along his side as he rinsed and she racked.

And he'd spent most of the evening in a vaguely distracting state of semi-arousal.

"I thought you told me you were comic relief."

The teasing words yanked his eyes up from her backside. My God, he was ogling her like a teenager. He should be ashamed of himself. But, damn, did those jeans fit perfectly. She turned to look over her shoulder at him, still bent slightly over the telescope. Her expectant expression told him he'd missed something while salivating over her fourth point of contact. "I'm sorry?"

Thankfully she thought he meant 'what did you say?' "You told me you were the comic relief on your team. Well, comic relief doesn't play with fancy toys like telescopes in his spare time."

Ah. Now if he could manage to concentrate on the conversation and not her jeans he'd be fine. "Yeah, well, you'll understand when you meet them."

A smile lit up her face in the pale glow of the street lights. "I can't wait."

Breath halting at her smile, he realized he'd done it again. He'd assumed there was a continuing them. And while his body was suddenly alive and very happy at the thought, his brain had far too many unanswered questions to be making those leaps every time he turned around. "Faith. . ." His voice died, pulse thudding in his chest. He really did not want to ask. But their future, and he was almost certain his heart, revolved around this conversation.

"What's wrong?" she asked, stepping away from the telescope. He stopped her momentum with a raised hand. There was no way he was doing this with her touching him. "Jack, what is it? I'm getting worried here."

He scanned her face carefully, hating himself for every second of doubt, but unable to be anything except himself. "We've only known each other for two weeks."

"We met six years ago, Jack," she interrupted, her concerned frown growing deeper at his words.

"Faith, that doesn't count and you know it." This time she simply stared across the four feet separating them, waiting for him to continue. Swallowing roughly, he shoved his hands into his pockets and dug deep for courage. This was harder than facing a squad of Jaffa without a weapon. At least with the Jaffa he'd know what to do. "It's only been two weeks, but I'm starting to have some real serious thoughts over here."

"And that's a problem? I've been having them ever since you said yes."

The slight tremble in her voice tore at him. Please don't let this ruin us. "You know I'm an Air Force colonel, that I work at Cheyenne Mountain and that I can't talk about what I do." He didn't give her a chance to respond, plowing ahead before the words could vanish. "I have enemies, ones that would try almost anything to get at information I have. They're ruthless and don't care much about collateral damage. They're the kind of people who use two little girls to blackmail a grandfather. I almost ran a background check on you today."

He saw the instant his abrupt topic change sank in. Her face paled, a sudden glimmer in the dim light, and one hand reached out for the waist high wall at her side. Heart stuttering in his chest, he had to look away. No. Please no.

"I'm not working for anyone, Jack." Her voice barely made it across the short distance to his ears. "I swear to you I'm not. You could be a dog catcher and I'd still be standing here on your roof. Please believe me, the fact that you're military sits firmly in the negative column."

Eyes flying back to hers, he forced air into his lungs. His chest ached, every muscle locked tight as he held her gaze. "Then why such a big reaction?"

"If you had run that check on me you would have found a very long file on a convicted felon."

Both her instant answer and the strangely dead tone convinced him she'd spoken the truth more than anything else. The fist around his chest loosened slowly. So. Not a spy. He could deal with anything else. "What was it?" After her admission he had no expectations, but her answer still surprised him.

"Larceny. Assault. Attempted murder. I served a commuted sentence. Three years."

Her eyes dared him to turn away in disgust. There was no way for her to know the only reason she wasn't in his arms was relief – relief so profound he was literally frozen in place. "Why didn't you tell me? You could have told me."

"It's not really a restaurant kind of subject, Jack," she snapped, spinning to place both hands along the top of the wall. The spurt of fire died as quickly as it rose. She leaned heavily over her supporting arms, head dangling. "I'm glad you didn't do the check. I wanted to be the one to tell you. I just," he felt her sigh in every bone of his body, "I just didn't want to scare you away before we even had a chance."

The defeat in her voice released him from the paralysis. Before the words faded over the roof, he was behind her, arms slipping around her waist to pull her up against him. She stiffened for a split second, body strung tight, before she melted back into his chest. Her hands came up to rest along his arms, tiny shivers dancing from her skin to his.

Jack breathed deep, taking the scent of her hair into his soul. "I don't have a spotless history myself. Faith, I'm in no position to judge anyone." He felt the last of the tension leave her body in a rush and settled her even tighter into his embrace. At that moment he didn't think there was any possible thing that could cause him to let her go.

The silence of the night enveloped them, broken only by the rustling of the wind through the trees around the house. He pressed a kiss into her hair, the heat of her body seeping into him.

"Jack?"

"Yeah?" He settled another kiss a little farther down, his lips brushing over her temple. His hands stroked unconsciously over her waist, tiny circles that blazed up his arms.

"I'm about to get really serious all over you. If you don't want that you've got five seconds to get off this roof."

His entire body tightened with an almost painful rush. Christ. He couldn't force a sound past his throat so he ditched words and went with actions instead.

Spinning her around, he fused his mouth to hers. Molten fire dissolved his brain when she pressed her entire body along the length of his, her arms gripping tight around his back. Suddenly, he was desperate for her – her body tangled with his, only sweat and skin separating them. He wanted, no, he needed to feel her against him.

A groan rattled his chest at the thought, the mental image setting him on fire. He left her lips, mouth working down her throat. He shoved his hands under her shirt, their trembling making him awkward. Her skin was silk against his fingers and he spread them wide to touch as much of her as he could. Vaguely, he felt a tugging on his shirt but couldn't focus enough to figure out what was causing it. Fumbling fingers reached for the rear clasp of Faith's bra, the interfering band a nuisance he had no patience for at that moment. He was ready to shred the damn thing when it surrendered, pressing her against him.

"Jack," she whispered, her mouth nipping at his neck. "Shirt off. Now."

Right. He might have spoken his agreement but he didn't think so. All he could think of was the woman in his arms. Reluctant to stop touching her even for the short time it would take to dump the shirt, he gripped her waist, mouth searching for hers again. He could not get enough of her.

Something pulled at his arms, trying to separate them. His grip tightened, fingers teasing along the waistband of her jeans.

"Jack," once again Faith's voice called to him through the haze of sensation. "If you don't help me, I'm going to rip your shirt."

Words. She wanted him to concentrate on words? Leaning away a bare two inches, he forced his blurry vision to focus on her face. Eyes darker than normal stared up at him. Her cheeks were flushed, her lips slightly swollen from the pressure of his mouth. A siren, that's what she was. A siren with brown hair, a quick wit and a body that had him on fire.

Another tug at his elbows and his brain finely figured it out. She couldn't get his shirt off without his help. Releasing her waist quickly, he added his own pull to the fabric. The faster his shirt was gone the faster he could return to her. Cloth slid down his arms, his sensitized skin tingling as it fell. A tiny part of his brain had just enough cognitive ability left to wonder how she'd gotten the buttons undone with their bodies plastered together, but even that one thought evaporated as Faith's hands grasped his undershirt.

He needed to feel her against him more than he needed his next breath. His hands joined hers to strip the thin cotton over his head. Where it landed he had no idea because the sudden warmth of Faith's lips on his skin dimmed his focus to nothing but the woman in his arms. Fisting one hand into her hair, he held her closer. A throaty chuckle teased along his skin, raising the tiny hairs along his arms and the back of his neck . He smoothed his other hand over her hip, the warmth of her skin almost a burning on his palm.

Time had no meaning in their tiny bubble on the roof. Jack lost all sense of the world, only the woman in his arms mattered as heat left trails up and down his body. Gone were any questions about what he wanted, what Faith wanted. It suddenly seemed a foregone conclusion and he couldn't find it within himself to even want to call a halt to the stunning sensations filling his every cell.

The slam of a car door from across the street was more effective than a bucket of ice water. Jack stepped away quickly, lungs heaving, body one huge nerve ending. What the hell were they doing? "Faith, we're standing outside on my roof. I don't think this is the best-"

"Then take me to bed."

The unequivocal certainty in the statement brushed over him like a physical caress. "Okay." There was nothing else he could say. Meeting her lips for one more temperature raising kiss, he snatched up his shirts from the roof top, almost losing his balance in the process. He could feel Faith moving behind him as he made his way over to the ladder. If he was lucky he'd make it to the bottom without falling off. His coordination was that shot. Two rungs down the ladder a hideous realization stopped him cold. He met Faith's eyes, their height difference nonexistent with her still on the roof. "I'm not in the habit of keeping condoms here."

In his way of thinking, there was absolutely nothing to smile about at the idea. But Faith simply smiled, her face practically glowing with the expression.

"This is not a good thing because unless you've got something stashed-"

Whatever he'd been about to say vanished when she gripped his face with both hands and settled her mouth over his. Unlike their kiss from not even a minute ago, this one was gentle, soft, open-mouthed yet still managing to be chaste.

"What," he had to clear his throat to get anything more out. "What was that for?"

"Ask me in three years," she said cryptically, then kissed him again. "I'm on birth control and am perfectly healthy. Now get down that ladder before we give your neighbors even more to gossip about."

Without another word, he was down the ladder. Watching her jeans-clad butt as she descended far quicker than he was comfortable with, he wondered what she'd meant. Ask her in three years. His chest tightened again at her reference to the future. Apparently, he wasn't the only one jumping off the deep end after only fourteen days. He let the thought settle as she skipped the last three rungs and landed on the ground. Three years, huh? Yeah, he could do that. Shirts in one hand, he took hers in the other and led her around the patio.

He'd barely gotten the glass door shut before she was in his arms, although he couldn't say for sure who moved first. They left a trail of clothing behind them from the kitchen to the bedroom. Jack only knew it wasn't fast enough. Finally, finally, he fell back onto his bed, taking her with him. A harsh groan slipped from his lips as her weight settled over him.

Overwhelmed by the flood of sensations, he gasped for air. Spots danced before his eyes as he struggled to watch her, the siren he'd called her earlier evident in every line of her body.

"Faith," he called out, hands grasping blindly. She looked down at him, eyes dark. She seemed to know exactly what he was feeling as she stared down at him, then he lost all ability to think clearly as their bodies fused together perfectly. He never wanted it to end.

Far too soon she lay sprawled over his chest, her hair a silken spill over him. Each strand was a subtle torment as it shifted over his sensitized skin, sending tiny shocks down his spine.

She pressed a kiss to his neck and sighed. "So."

"Yeah." He sounded like Lurch from 'The Addams Family,' all frog and no smooth. "You know I didn't plan this when I invited you over this morning."

"I know." She laid another kiss on his skin, one hand trailing absently over his shoulder. "But I can't say I'm sorry it happened."

"Neither can I," he said, arms cuddling her just a little closer. "As a matter of fact sorry is the one word I wouldn't use right about now."

He could feel her smile even if he couldn't see it. "Good. Now don't go away. I'm going to get cleaned up." She pressed up over him, hands just above his shoulders. As if she couldn't help herself, she leaned down slowly and kissed him, light and soft. The gentle caress went straight to his heart. Before he could process the thought, she eased off of the bed and made her way in the dark to the bathroom.

He stared after her, listening to the water splash into the sink. No, he repeated silently, he wasn't sorry. How could he be when his body was still shaking with tiny aftershocks? Not giving himself time to think about it, he rolled to his feet and walked to the dresser. He pulled out two shirts, a set of boxers and a pair of comfortable running shorts. Eying the shorts, he wasn't sure they'd fit her, but it was worth the offer at least.

Laying the clothes on the bed, he turned to see Faith walking toward him in the dim light. He'd been as close to her as a person could be mere minutes ago and suddenly he was a nervous wreck. "I, uh, I got you something to sleep in." As soon as the words were out he winced at their presumption. "I mean, I'd like you to stay," he hurried on, stumbling over himself to speak. "If you do. Want to stay, that is. With me. Tonight." Finally grinding to a halt, he shut his mouth before any other inanity could be produced. So much for suave and sophisticated.

But a second later he didn't care how stupid he sounded as Faith wrapped her arms around him, her giggle almost hidden in his chest. "I'd like that, Jack."

"Okay then." He pushed down the small lump in his throat and leaned down to kiss her. "I'll just be a minute." After rinsing off quickly, he went back into the bedroom to find Faith sitting on the bed, resting against the headboard. He returned her smile automatically and reached for his boxers.

"It seems like a waste to cover it up."

To his astonishment, heat crawled up his neck at her words, the memory of her hand on his backside shooting through him. "Thanks, I think."

"People don't tease you very often, do they?"

"Not like you do," he admitted. Pulling on the Air Force Academy t-shirt, he decided that turnabout was fair play. "No one I work with would dare grab my ass like you did earlier this evening." Apparently, he was a long way from figuring her out. She didn't blush, simply sent him a look that made him not so happy they were both clothed again.

"I'd bet no one you work with would dare to have their hands on a lot of places I had mine on, Colonel."

He couldn't help it. When she was right, she was right. The laugh spilled out of him, bringing a smile to her face. "I concede this round to you." Stepping forward, he kissed her cheek. "I need to lock up. Why don't you get comfy?" And because he wanted to, he kissed her once again before leaving the bedroom.

Nearly tripping over his jeans in the hallway, he bit back a curse and smiled instead. He didn't remember ditching them there. He gathered their scattered clothing as he followed the trail back to the kitchen. The sliding glass door was only partially closed, five inches of night creeping into the light of the kitchen. Jack stared at the open door, not quite sure what to think about its implications. He never forgot about security. Not off world and not on Earth. Hell, not even when he slept. Faith had done what lack of consciousness couldn't. Pushing the door shut, he locked it tight and quietly made his way back to the front door to throw the lock there as well.

He shoved the uncharacteristic slip from his mind. Faith was waiting, warm and soft, in his bed. He could obsess in the morning.

* * *

He woke instantly, eyes scanning the darkened room automatically for the source of the noise. Finding nothing amiss in the familiar shadows, Jack allowed his brain to relax. He smiled as he turned onto his side, long brown hair tickling his chest and arm. Faith lay sprawled on her stomach beside him, head turned to face the wall. Her hair spilled in a riot along the borrowed t-shirt bunched up high along her back, revealing smooth satin skin. Ever so gently, he eased one finger over a small lock of the silk of hair, watching intently as it folded itself into the rest of the wavy mass.

He'd told her the truth earlier – he didn't regret it. Even if he wasn't filled with a strange sense of fulfillment, he didn't think there was anything to make him regret knowing her. Except maybe losing her.

Roughly, he pushed the thought aside. There was no place for those kinds of thoughts with Faith warm and asleep beside him. His hand hovered over her exposed waist, the heat of her skin radiating into him, eyes closing as the feel of her along his body, under his hands, flashed through him.

One day at a time, Jack, he told himself. Let's just take this one day at a time.

A muffled, choked off grunt yanked his eyes open. That was the sound which had woken him. And it had come from Faith.

Her shoulder twitched once, twice, her out flung hand curling into an open fist. Another not quite word left her throat and Jack knew she was caught in the middle of a not so pleasant dream. He leaned away slightly, careful to keep his movement slow. The last thing they needed was a self-defense instructor and an Air Force colonel exchanging accidental blows in the middle of the night. He couldn't be one hundred percent positive what her reaction might be, but he'd rather lean toward the cautious side until they'd had a chance to talk it over.

"Faith."

It was like hitting a switch. She went from dreaming slumber to sitting up in, literally, the blink of an eye. Jack held himself perfectly still as her roving gaze took in everything around her. She relaxed almost as quickly as her body had moved. "Jack."

"I think you were having a nightmare." He sat up slowly, still wanting to give her time to settle. Holding out a hand, he didn't touch her, but waited for her to reach out instead.

To his relief, she didn't hesitate before grasping his hand in hers. "No. Not a nightmare exactly." She paused, her lips tilting up in a sort of anti-smile. "More like an unwelcome dream."

Eyebrows quirking at the description, he shifted closer to trail his free hand over her leg. "Aren't they one and the same?"

"Not in my book."

The hand that had been drawing lazy, comforting circles over her bare thigh froze. That sounded far too much like something he would have said. With an effort, he got his fingers moving again, clearing his face of everything except concern for her. "You want to talk about it?"

"Not really." She smiled to lessen the rejection and leaned forward to press a light kiss to his lips. "I have them every now and then. It's not a big deal."

"Maybe it's not to you," Jack said, sitting up as well. He didn't want to push, but he wasn't going to let her hide from him either. "But something's bothering you enough to give you nightmares, whatever you want to label them as. I have a lot of experience in dealing with them. I just might be able to help."

For a full minute while she stared unblinking at him, he thought she'd back away. She sighed, looking down at his hand on her leg. But instead of adding her touch to his, she sat still, eyes downcast.

"There haven't been a lot of good moments in my life. Some have been really bad, actually. One of them sent me to prison." She paused, a frown creasing the blank mask of her face. "Well, a whole series of them sent me there."

Jack struggled to keep his fingers moving in that same small circle on her leg. He barely blinked, half afraid she'd close up. As he'd realized earlier, he could work with her being in prison and he wanted to hear all of it if she wanted to tell him. But he never could have imagined he'd hear about is so quickly. His gut filled with warmth as he watched her. He wasn't sure he'd have the courage to bare his soul like she was doing in front of him.

"I hurt a lot of people, did a lot of damage. A friend managed to stop me before," she stumbled to a halt wetting her lips quickly. "Just before."

This time he did move, shifting closer to press his leg along her calf, hands reaching for hers. "What happened?" he asked softly, wanting her to know he was interested and wouldn't be repulsed by anything she said.

"It was raining," she murmured, eyes unfocused. Jack was certain she wasn't seeing his bedroom anymore, experience showing him all too clearly what was going through her mind. "We fought. Tore up the room, took it outside. Kept going in the alley. I don't even know why we stopped. One minute we were pounding on each other, the next we weren't. I sat down right there in the street and he called the police."

"You were dreaming about that fight?" It sounded like enough to give anyone a nightmare or two.

"Like I said, unwelcome but not a nightmare." She looked over at him finally, eyes dark with memories. "Nightmare implies that you're helpless in the situation. Trust me, I was anything but helpless."

Moving slowly in case she wasn't ready, he slid his arms around her. His hands curled into the muscles of her back as he eased her against his chest. Muscle by muscle she relaxed, arms coming up to return the embrace. "You're not running in the other direction yet. Hope you don't mind but I'm marking that in the of-the-good column."

"You do that," he replied, right hand again and again stroking through her silky hair. His throat burned, a painful bite he swallowed down before speaking. "I told you before, Faith, I don't have a nice shiny past myself. I can handle quite a bit of dirt. When you're ready to tell me." And he left it at that. He didn't think Faith was up to anymore show and tell and to be perfectly honest he wasn't sure he was either. Bits and pieces were going to be the path here – for both of them.

Not another word was spoken between them as Jack eased them back onto the mattress and settled Faith into his arms once again. Immediately, she laid her head on his shoulder and her body tucked against his side as if she'd been doing it for years. She curled her left arm up along his chest. He didn't think about moving, his hand was just suddenly there, fingers entwined with hers over his heart. He fell asleep to the sound of Faith's even breathing.

* * *

cont.


	4. Part 4

** See Part 1 for disclaimers and story details.

AUTHORS' NOTES: Thank you, everyone, for your continued interest in this series. I'm having far too much fun playing in Jack and Faith's world. As long as you keep reading, I'll keep playing. Once again, a huge hug goes to Lynette. She reads all of my errors and helps to make them understandable. As always, any and all feedback is appreciated.

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Part 4

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Jack hit the mat with a thump, instinctively using his hand and arm to absorb the force of the fall. Even with the padding, that one would have hurt. He rolled quickly to his feet before his opponent could take advantage of his prone form and reassessed the wiseness of his agreement to workout with Faith. A flying kick to his head disabused him of the idea of thinking too much. He needed all of his concentration for the fight in front of him.

Waking in a mood Jack could only call fidgety, Faith had bounced around all morning until she'd finally announced her need to hit the gym. Jack had teasingly asked to come with her, a question she'd considered with a seriousness he hadn't thought it warranted and then she'd agreed.

Currently ducking under a left hook, Jack decided he needed to curb his tendency to underestimate Faith. He'd expected a level of proficiency above that of the average airmen he'd worked with. She was a martial arts trainer, after all. And he'd been training with Teal'c for five long years so he figured he'd be able to hold his own. He never thought he'd get his butt handed to him by a five foot five inch package of whoop-ass.

He scrambled back as she recovered from a duck of her own with blinding speed to kick at him again. God, was she fast! She could probably give Teal'c a run for his money. The thought brought a quick grin to his lips as a flash of the two of them faced off flew through his head. Talk about a mismatched image. But the image left a memory of something he just might be able to use to his advantage – Bra'tac instructing how size could be both advantage and disadvantage. All he needed now was an opening, only Faith was very good at not giving him any.

Sweat dripped down his face to join his long-ago soaked tank top. Their panting breaths filled the small room with short percussive bits of sound. Okay, his breathing, not hers, he had to admit. But even Faith seemed to be taking in her own share with a few open-mouthed gasps. Petty to notice, yeah, but at the moment he was glad to see it.

It was so small he almost missed it – the opening in her guard he'd been looking for. Forcing a burst of speed from his tiring muscles, he swept his arms wide across her chest and over her arms, forcing them back. His right leg wrapped around hers from the side and he saw the instant she realized what he intended, but it was too late to stop him. With a jerk, he yanked her leg toward him and used his weight to topple her backwards onto the mat. He winced as his full weight crushed into her and his own hands, trapped with hers behind her back, gave a shriek of pain then subsided into a dull throb. Hell, he hadn't realized it would hurt so much. How badly had he injured Faith with his stupid pride and his insistence on winning their bout? But before he could release her, he felt a determination fill her and she renewed her struggle. Okay, maybe not so hurt after all? Still he had to ask. "You okay?" He met her eyes from mere inches away, the intimacy of their positioning creeping into his awareness.

"You don't ask an enemy if she's okay," she replied with a slight smile. "You kick her ass." She accompanied motion to her words, attempting to throw him off, but he bore down with all of his weight and she couldn't get the needed leverage.

"Is that how it's done? I don't feel much ass kicking coming from down there." He couldn't resist the jab even though she'd held the upper hand for most of their bout. "Do you yield?"

Instead of answering, she lifted her head and captured his lips with her own. Battle forgotten in an instant, his palms flattened against her back, drawing her further into the curve of his body. Heat flooded him as her tongue swept across his quickly, a torment he wanted more of.

But before he knew things had changed, instead of her willing body he found himself pressed face down into the plastic of the mat. Faith held one arm around his throat, the other secured his arm in a hold that was just shy of painful and had every potential to be so.

What the hell?

"Now. Do you yield?" Was that a hint of smugness in her voice?

His thought of continuing the struggle ended abruptly when she applied the smallest additional pressure to his throat. Tiny black spots appeared in his vision before she loosened her arm back to its original position. She had him and they both knew it. How she'd gotten him there was another question entirely. "I yield."

Instantly, she released him and slid onto the mat at his side, one hand lingering at the small of his back. "Good match," she said, no hint of strain on her face or in her voice. Either she really was Superwoman or he was feeling more his age than usual.

"Yes, it was. Until you decided to play dirty." He couldn't resist the poke, even knowing that she probably would have won in the end anyway. His poor attempt at humor stripped the easy expression off of her face, leaving a blank mask he'd seen once or twice before. He sat up quickly and gripped her hand in his. "Faith, it was a joke."

She turned dark eyes full of too much living on him, her hand strangely still against his skin. "In my experience, playing nice doesn't get you anything but dead. I'd rather fight dirty."

His gut clenched at the words she didn't say. Hell, he didn't even want to think them, but they hung in her eyes nonetheless. With his free hand he touched her jaw gently, keeping her eyes on his. "And I'm happy for it." Only when the mask cracked, letting the real Faith back out, did he lean forward and kiss her, a careful, chaste meeting. "You don't have to apologize for who you were, who you are. Not to me."

Before she could reply, a flash of movement from the floor-to-wall glass at the end of the room caught his attention. He turned quickly, protective instincts already rising, to see Carter's stunned face on the other side. Resignation pushed its way to the front as he watched her recover her usual composure. Well, it had to happen eventually, right?

"Jack?" He turned back to see Faith's questioning eyebrows. "Do you know her?"

"Oh, yeah," he replied, motioning for Carter to enter the room. "I know her. She works in the Mountain with me." A stray thought tugged a smile to his lips. "I think you'll like her."

* * *

The bag banged gently against her hip as Sam pushed her way out of the locker room. Pleased with both her workout and the new facilities in the fitness center, her mood was one of fatigued energy. She'd been waiting to see how this gym compared to her current one for almost a month, but missions off-world and her personal life, such as it was, had conspired to keep her away. The facility was farther from her house, but right along her route to and from the SGC, making it perfect for her time-crunched schedule. Only the machines had been old, the locker rooms a mess, in short it had been in great need of a makeover. The overhaul had been complete for almost two months now and the addition of a personal trainer/martial arts instructor rumored to be very good had the place comfortably full. With another scan around the weight room, she nodded, satisfied with her decision to switch. This new facility would be a nice change.

Making her way past the cardio area toward the front door, she paused at the individual workout rooms, each glass-fronted much like racquetball courts and padded corner to corner with wrestling mats. This must be where the new instructor whips up on people, she thought. And there she is now.

In the next room, a petite, dark-haired woman sparred with a tall, lanky man with salt and pepper hair. The man's back was to Sam, but the familiar build couldn't be a coincidence. Her suspicion was confirmed when he stumbled back from an incredibly fast punch and turned briefly to the glass. It was Colonel O'Neill.

Surprise gave way to confusion as their bout continued. The colonel hated public gyms, said he felt like a bug under a microscope. So what was he doing here? He had plenty of people to work out with in the Mountain.

A flurry of action pulled her an unconscious step closer to the glass. Colonel O'Neill just barely was able to keep up. Sam knew how good he was. The woman was better, no doubt about it. She had to be the martial arts trainer Sam had heard so much about. She didn't think the other woman even had a hole in her defense to use, but O'Neill found it eventually and had her pinned to the floor in a fall that looked like it hurt. And that was that. Once in a hold of that type, Sam knew just how difficult it was for a woman to break free. Leverage and sheer mass worked against their smaller frames. So to say she was surprised when the woman leaned up and kissed O'Neill would be an understatement.

But she was floored when he kissed her back and with an air of familiarity that left no doubt it wasn't for the first time.

Before her brain could process the image, the woman had reversed their positions and held the colonel in a blood choke hold. Still reeling from the shock, Sam knew when he gave up. The tension simply vanished from them both and they sat up.

Was Colonel O'Neill and the woman, the martial arts trainer, dating? And if they were why hadn't he said anything? The team didn't go out of their way to inform everyone of the changes in their personal lives, but they did make it a habit of at least mentioning any new people.

O'Neill leaned forward to kiss the woman, both still sitting on the mats. Sam didn't think she moved, but suddenly his eyes whipped in her direction, pinning her in place. Too late to pretend you didn't see now, she told herself, smiling a greeting. He grimaced but waved her into the room.

A trickle of uneasiness wormed into her stomach. Something told her that everything was about to change. She dropped her bag just inside the room as they climbed to their feet.

"Colonel, how are you? She didn't hurt you, did she?" Sam couldn't resist the small jab, even knowing it would come back to bite her on a later mission. The rare opportunity was too good to pass up.

One eyebrow raised in a good imitation of Teal'c but that was his only response. "Faith Lehane, may I introduce Major Samantha Carter?"

The old fashioned, formal introduction froze her in place for a second before she was able to extend her hand in greeting. The young woman – and she was young – either didn't notice Sam's hesitation or kept it hidden very well. "It's good to meet you, Faith." Even as she spoke, her brain was trying to puzzle out the colonel's uncharacteristic formality. Of anyone she knew, he tended to eschew the dictates of society and did his own thing.

"Major, the same." The young woman smiled as they shook hands. "Jack's told me almost nothing about you." This was accompanied by a pointed look at the colonel, who actually raised one shoulder in a shrug and grinned sheepishly. Faith's smile widened in response before she turned back to Sam. "It really is good to meet you. From the little I have heard, I get the feeling we'll get along well."

Sam felt her lips widen into a true smile at Faith's confidence. She didn't feel even the slightest hint of jealousy or discomfort coming from Faith, an unusual response in her experience. Almost invariably that small feeling forced its way into being around Sam's male friends' significant others. "You're the new trainer, aren't you?" Faith nodded, her pony-tailed dark hair bouncing. "I've been wanting to meet you. I've heard some horror stories of the workouts you put people through."

"Horror stories, huh? I must be slipping."

The colonel let out a bark of laughter and Sam joined him a split second later. If there was one thing Faith lacked it wasn't a sense of humor. "Well, I look forward to my torture session then. I'm up on Wednesday."

"I don't want to hear any complaining on Thursday, then. You volunteered with your eyes wide open."

The smack of Faith's hand on O'Neill's arm echoed against the bare walls and nearly covered up Sam's snicker. "I'll try to keep that in mind, sir."

* * *

cont.


	5. Part 5

** See Part 1 for disclaimer and story details.

AUTHORS' NOTES: Happy Easter! I think this is the most requested part of any story I've ever written. For those of you waiting impatiently on "the meeting," here it is. I hope you enjoy it. Thank you all for your continued interest and your wonderful comments. And thank you also to Lynette. Your idea was so much better than mine and it really made this part work. You rock, lady! As always, any and all feedback is appreciated.

* * *

"Would you please stop that?"

That was the nervous tapping of his fingers against the back of Faith's hand. With each mile he felt his spine get stiffer. Damned if he knew why, though. Faith was perfectly calm, although maybe a little annoyed with his sudden case of nerves. It was only the monthly team get together after all. An event uncommon only in the fact that none of them was currently on the injured list. So what if it happened to be Carter's turn to host. So what if he was bringing Faith with him for the first time. It was nothing to get worked up over.

Another gentle squeeze on his hand spoke the lie to his thoughts as she stilled his once more tapping fingers. "Jack, it'll be okay. I promise. Just relax and enjoy yourself." She smiled at him, her expression indulgent. Faith was probably storing up each second to use at a later date on him. "They don't bite, do they?"

"Sometimes," he admitted honestly, even though he couldn't really see any of SG-1 doing so with Faith. It was a big moment, the introduction of the two halves of his life. For so long he'd been one dimensional, SG-1's commanding officer, that he'd almost forgotten there was a Jack buried deep down inside as well. This was as much a meeting of Faith and his team mates as it was a reintroduction of Jack and Colonel O'Neill. He hoped neither of them blew it. "I'll settle eventually, okay? Just let me have my little moment here."

She brought their linked hands to her lips and kissed his softly. "You can have as long a moment as you want." He heard the but and glanced over to see her suppressing a smirk. "Just have it without the Chinese tapping torture."

Despite the nerves, he laughed, acknowledging defeat. "All right. I'll find some other way to kill off this excess energy."

"Why didn't you say so earlier? I know lots of ways to burn excess energy."

Never had Jack been so glad of a stop sign in his life. Leaning over, he found Faith waiting for him, meeting him halfway between the broad expanse of the truck's interior. Lips and tongues tangling for far too short a time, Jack straightened, breath slightly choppy despite the kiss's brevity. "You are a very, very bad woman."

"Don't you forget it." She leaned back into her seat with a satisfied smile, one Jack was hard-pressed to drag his eyes from. "And it worked didn't it?"

For a short second he had no idea what she was talking about. Then he realized the knot in his gut had transformed into a tension of a completely different kind and he didn't have a death grip on the steering wheel anymore. Yes, he had to admit it was effective, at least in the temporary to get him through the initial introductions.

Before he could account for it, they were parked outside Carter's comfortable house and heading up the walk. The front door stood open so he tugged aside the screen and waved Faith into the house. As soon as they entered the cool interior Jack heard the familiar voices of SG-1 – all of them. Apparently even the habitually running behind Daniel didn't want to miss out. The spacious kitchen didn't fall completely silent as they came into view, but it was close. Jack had his mouth open to do the honors when Carter came around the large island with a smile.

"Faith, Colonel, welcome. It's good to see you again."

"You, too, Sam. How's the shoulder?"

"Not bad. I may even show up next week."

Jack choked back an 'I told you so' and handed the newly purchased Trivial Pursuit Genus V edition card box to Carter. "Faith, this is Teal'c and Daniel," he said, nodding to each in turn. "Remember what I said, never ask why if you don't really want the answer around him."

"Hey! I'm not that bad," Daniel protested. He stepped forward and extended his hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

"You, too. Teal'c." She shook hands with the Jaffa and gave the gold emblem on his forehead a long stare. Jack had explained it away as a cultural thing, giving her the basic immigrant from Mozambique cover story they'd created for Teal'c long ago and Faith hadn't asked any questions. Now he was wondering if he should have said more. "Nice. That looks like it hurt."

"It was gratifying at the time. Will you be joining myself and Major Carter or O'Neill and Daniel Jackson for Trivial Pursuit tonight? I must warn you that Major Carter and I have won four out of the six games."

Approving of the quick change in subject, Jack nudged Faith around the island and into the breakfast area where the table was already set up with the traditional board and five different sets of question boxes, including the new one Carter had unwrapped and set out. Bowls of various snacks sat around the table between the brightly colored wedges, cards and the familiar board itself. Jack was pleasantly surprised with the ease Faith was fitting in with the rest of SG-1. The team had been together so long they had developed a type of shorthand silent communication, one Jack was concerned would leave Faith feeling a little lost if not unintentionally excluded. So far he hadn't seen even the slightest hint of that. His nerves settled down to a barely noticeable murmur.

"Yeah, but that was only after we got the Star Wars edition."

"Star Wars? They have Trivial Pursuit for Star Wars?"

Teal'c stopped, turning to look at her with a practically astonished expression. "It is one of the most enjoyable aspects of the game."

"Sorry, Jack. With that record, how could I not play on their team? You and Daniel are on your own." Turing back to Teal'c, she smiled brightly. "I'll just leave all of the Star Wars questions to you. I won't be much help in that category."

In the middle of pulling a chair out for her next to his, Jack paused, wondering if it was his imagination or if he really did hear the smallest hint of dejection in her voice. "Don't worry about it. T can answer every one." She squeezed his forearm as she sat, the warmth of her smile filling him. "But we're still going to whip up on you guys."

"You wish," Carter stated, derision laced heavily throughout the words. "We're going for total domination tonight."

Faith looked back and forth between the faces surrounding her, expression somewhere between confusion and Alice down the rabbit hole. "What's that?"

Slipping the cardboard cover from the box of trivia cards by his right hand, Jack snorted inelegantly. "A vain hope that they'll get all of their wedgies and make it to the middle and answer all of the questions on one card by the time we get one wedgie." He winked at Faith, happy to see her so comfortable with his friends, and picked up the white die. "Daniel, I should mention she has the tiniest bit of a competitive streak." He sent the die rolling across the board, the five little black dots appearing when it came to a stop making him smile.

"You guys are so going down." Without waiting for a response, she grabbed the die and rolled, all in one smooth movement.

Daniel glanced over at Jack as the die stopped in the dead center of the board. Six. "A little competitive, you said? Want to make that a rugby fullback instead?"

Jack could only laugh as Faith stuck her tongue out and settled back into her seat. "I wouldn't have it any other way. Now roll."

Almost an hour later he would have sworn he'd spent the time doing sit ups instead of playing a stationary board game he'd been laughing so much. The game rules they'd established gave each team one minute to answer the question or it was as good as a wrong answer. Discussion was allowed, but once the tiny sand minute timer ran out a decision was required. The addition of Faith to Teal'c and Carter's team had resulted in some of the funniest responses Jack had ever heard. Faith herself had looked surprised at the answers she'd thrown out without thought. The team had almost forfeited several turns when their laughter had kept them from being able to speak. And yes, he and Daniel were getting their butts kicked.

"History, from the Genus III edition," Daniel said, giving Carter a pointed look. The category had not been her strongest of the evening. He held the small card up and cleared his throat loudly. "Who won the Battle of Hastings?"

Jack quickly flipped the timer and sat back with a smug grin. He knew the answer, but looking across the table, it didn't appear that the two Earthlings did. So much for that little yellow wedgie. He and Daniel were right next to the green wedge square. Maybe their bad rolling luck would stop and they would finally land on a homebase. The total shut out they were facing would not make for a comfortable week at the SGC for either of them. "Thirty seconds," he called airily as the chattering gathered speed from the other three. Exchanging a glance with Daniel, his smirk grew. Science Carter may have down like breathing, but she didn't know everything. Teal'c had a perfectly good excuse and Jack knew that Faith's education had been spotty at best before she'd left school entirely before graduation. He didn't count it against her. She'd gotten her education in real life and on the streets. "And," he drawled out as the timer ran down to its final grains, "done. Answer?"

Carter glanced from Teal'c to Faith, shrugging. "I should know this. I just can't remember."

"I am unfamiliar with that portion of history."

"We'll go with the English," Faith said definitively. "Since we obviously aren't going to come up with the right answer."

"Ha! Not even close. The Normans, led by William, Duke of Normandy, better known as William the Conqueror. The English were the other side." Daniel was taking an inordinate amount of pleasure in their loss of the yellow wedge. "And we roll a one. Yes! Green wedgie. Science and nature from the," he rolled again getting a three, "Millenium set."

Teal'c pulled the card from the multi-colored box and scanned it carefully. "What is acknowledged as the largest tree in the world?"

"The Great Banyan, Kolkata, India," Daniel said immediately.

"Nope," Jack returned, holding up a hand to indicate that wasn't their official answer. "The General Sherman Giant Sequoia in California. The Great Banyan is the widest."

Frowning, he shook his head, drawing a large circle on the tabletop with his finger. "Jack, the tree covers over forty-five thousand square feet of land. I don't think a sequoia beats that. They're big, yes, but not that big."

Knowing he was right, Jack picked up the small green wedge and popped it into their blue circular game piece. "Largest is defined by the total volume of the tree truck. It's almost three hundred feet tall and about a hundred feet around. It's gigantic." He looked at Teal'c and nodded once. "The General Sherman."

"Correct, O'Neill. You have gained your green wedge. Congratulations."

"Why are you congratulating them?" Faith asked. "They're on the other side. We don't root for the other side. What do they teach you in Mozambique anyway?"

"Fullback, remember?" Daniel managed to sound a little panicked and smug at the same time.

"Ha ha, Daniel. You weren't too broken up by us losing the yellow."

"I'm just happy to stop the skunking. It's bad for my reputation."

Faith glared across the table, one eye narrowing slightly and said, "Just roll already."

Unable to help himself and not really wanting to, Jack reached over to take her hand as it sat on the edge of the table. Something about her fierce attitude, mock or not, simply called to him. When she jumped slightly at the contact, his eyes flew to her face, not sure how to interpret the response.

"You're the other side, remember?" She winked slowly, cutting the sting, but there was a tiny darkness in her eyes, a something Jack wasn't sure anyone else would have seen. "It's never a good thing to collaborate with the enemy."

"Sometimes the benefits are worth the risk." He wasn't intending to get into a serious discussion, but there was more to her words than their face value.

"Not enough for me."

Jack knew there was more to that story than her simple answer, but he let it drop. It wasn't the right time or place. He'd also sworn not to push her into revealing something she didn't want to. Nodding, he retreated. Daniel had moved their piece clockwise onto the pink space. "Genus V edition, entertainment, huh? I don't have high hopes for this one." Unless it was related to The Simpson's, he didn't even recognize most of the things mentioned in those questions.

"In 1999, this band smashed Garth Brooks' record for first-week sales and still holds the record for first-week sales of the 1990's."

They stared at one another, both shaking their heads. "I got nothing, Daniel." Without responding, the other man simply handed the die across the board into Sam's waiting hand. She rolled with an unhealthy amount of relish. "So? The answer?"

"You know it's not required to give it. What if it comes up in a later game?"

"Carter," Jack growled, suppressing a smile as Faith squeezed his hand, her own shaking just the smallest bit with her quiet giggle.

"Backstreet Boys."

"What are the Backstreet Boys?" Daniel sounded more put out than when he'd found out he was getting his appendix removed.

"And we've got brown," Carter said quickly, eyebrows raising ever so slightly in a vain attempt to keep a straight face. "In Star Wars, which equals purple. So hit us with characters, oh so far behind you'll never catch up team."

"You might just have to eat those words, Carter."

"Who is the only member of Rogue Squadron to live through all three movies?" Daniel read from the card then looked up expectantly. Teal'c rarely missed one from the Star Wars box.

Faith shrugged, drawing every eye. "I'm out of this one. I've only seen the original."

"That is a deficiency we will correct at the earliest opportunity. They are films which provide great enjoyment." Jack liked the way his friend didn't even pretend to give her an option as he turned back to Daniel. "And the answer is Commander Wedge Antilles."

Smacking the card onto the table, Daniel gave a disgusted grunt. "Why do we allow this again? He's the only one who can answer them."

"Even I knew that one, Daniel," Carter said, moving their brightly colored piece five spaces up the spoke toward the middle of the board. "So you really haven't seen the whole trilogy? They are pretty fun."

"I haven't seen many things. Moved around a lot. You know."

Teal'c rolled the die to determine edition and pushed the original box set toward Jack. "Next month will be Star Wars night, then."

Sighing, Daniel slumped back in his chair a little. "Didn't we just watch it not that long ago?"

They had, but Jack wasn't above tormenting his friend just a little. "You like them and you know it. And the question in Geography is: Name the two tallest buildings in the Unites States."

"Sears Tower and the Empire State Building," Faith stated, obviously pleased to have an answer.

"The North and South Towers of the World Trade Center," Carter corrected gently. "Each tower is considered as a separate structure. The Empire State is fourth by a pretty big distance, actually."

Faith froze, her hand going completely still in his hand. Swallowing, she bobbed her head down once, a jerky imitation of a nod. "Right. I always forget about those." Scanning her face, Jack knew there was more to it than that. She disentangled their fingers and clumsily grabbed her glass of soda, splashing a little over the side. "Sorry. Could you hand me a napkin?"

Silently, he passed a clean one from the short stack on his other side. "You okay?"

"Yeah, fine." She rolled her eyes self-derisively, but still wouldn't meet his. "Just can't believe I forgot about the Towers."

"Well, Carter's right and it's still your turn."

Faith finished wiping up the spill and grabbed the die. "History again. Shoot."

By the end of the evening, the inevitable outcome had come to pass and Teal'c added yet another win to his tally. Jack had kept a surreptitious eye on Faith after her uncharacteristic moment of … whatever it had been. Jack wanted to call it panic, but wasn't sure the description was truly accurate. Faith had simply forgotten a landmark of all things, nothing to warrant a reaction that had been, for her, so dramatic. But nothing else had seemed to phase her. He tossed around the idea of asking her later, when there wasn't any pressure from other people around.

He stood back by the sliding glass door, content to simply watch Faith interact with his team. Teal'c was staunchly defending George Lucas's grand vision, otherwise known as the Star Wars Trilogy, against Daniel's attempts to convince Faith they weren't worth the time spent in watching them. Carter stood at the sink, accepting glasses and small plates as they were handed to her by the trio and good-humoredly putting up with an argument she'd heard more than once. Holding a dish towel she used to dry the occasional glass, Faith watched the two men as if at a tennis match, head turning back and forth. She glanced over at Jack and smiled, her face relaxed and her eyes glowing.

No, he wouldn't bring it up again. She was too happy and it would only destroy the obviously carefree feeling she had. If it was important to them, she'd tell him. Jack knew it. Until then, he'd set it on the back burner.

"Really? So Han Solo is nothing but a male chauvinistic archetype who is a bad role model for young boys?" Faith asked, the towel forgotten by her side. She exchanged a glance with Carter, who nodded, a smirk flirting at the corner of her mouth. "Well, maybe you're right."

"You see, Teal'c," Daniel plowed on, completely oblivious to the smirks covering both ladies' faces. "Even Faith thinks-"

"But he's still hot."

Stopped in mid-sentence, Daniel's mouth hung open for a long second before snapping shut with an audible click. Jack laughed, his voice mingling with the other three's. "I understand that with a high enough level of hotness all sorts of sins can be forgiven. You really must keep up, Daniel."

"I don't think I'll ever understand the female mind."

Faith snapped the towel at his stomach lightly before tossing it onto the counter. "And what makes you think we'd ever let you?"

Chuckling once again as Faith crossed the kitchen with a few quick strides, Jack's cheeks actually ached a little. "So what are my chances?"

"I'll have to think about that," she answered breezily. She halted right in front of him, her hands resting lightly on his chest. "I can be bribed, you know."

"Bribed, huh? Well, I'll have to see what I can come up with as appropriate payment then." He leaned down to kiss her, the intended peck turning into something a little longer when he found her lips soft and warm and inviting. It was a shock, every time, that she had the power to move him with something as simple as a kiss.

"All right, all right. This is a family place, none of that here," Daniel called out, the tone teasing and not the least unfriendly.

Instead of being embarrassed, as he thought Faith most likely would have been, she pushed up onto her tiptoes and kissed him again. "Later," she whispered, then walked back to lean her arms on the island.

Jack felt a wave of warmth pass over him, flooding his entire being. His worries of Faith not being accepted by his friends had been all for nothing. As if she'd always been a part of the group, Faith had fit like a missing piece of a puzzle. Listening to her and Daniel banter back and forth across the island, Jack smiled. SG-1 and Faith. It had a good ring to it.

* * *

cont.


	6. Part 6

** See Part 1 for disclaimer and story details.

AUTHORS' NOTES: And so this portion comes to an end. I hope you've enjoyed reading my take on the beginning of Jack and Faith's relationship. Thank you all for joining me on the ride. For those of you with questions about the story arc time line, please see the notes at the end of the fic. Huge thanks also go to Lynette. Your help is invaluable in making my stories better. As always, any and all feedback is appreciated.

* * *

Part 6

* * *

"What am I doing?"

Faith stared at the elegant looking woman in the mirror and didn't recognize her. "This is not me. Who am I trying to fool?" The woman stared back silently, her face a solemn mask.

The dress was green, a dark hunter green in silk that fell to the floor in a liquid spill of fabric. Small, creamy pearls ornamented the thin crisscrossed straps, the only flare to the simple elegance of the gown. Faith's eyes tracked up the skirt to where it hugged her ribs and chest, modestly covered and yet prominently displayed at the same time. The triangular bodice came over her breasts, tapering to the slim straps. She twisted to one side, following those tiny pearls as they crossed between her shoulder blades to catch up the opposite sides of the dress near the end of her rib cage. The draped fabric in back displayed quite a bit of tanned flesh, an amount she'd raised her eyebrows at, but Jack had promised her was still appropriate.

She turned back to the front, shifting her focus to the simple pearls drops Jack had insisted on buying her. She'd won the argument over the dress and shoes, but there had been no moving him on the earrings. Admittedly, they were the perfect complement to the dress. Her hair was smoothed back into a chignon, a large comb studded with more pearls holding the heavy mass solidly in place. Makeup was muted and subtle, her eyes suddenly smoky and huge in her face.

Six weeks ago when she'd agreed to attend this event with him she'd had no idea what she was getting herself into. Her experience with fund raisers was nonexistent, but once Jack had explained what it was for she couldn't say no. The Fallen Comrade event raised money for the families of service members killed in action. It was the only event Jack attended every year. He didn't have to tell her how many fellow airmen he'd lost over the years for her to understand how important it was to him. Even so, looking at her unfamiliar self in the mirror, she had to wonder if she really was cut out to be an Air Force officer's other half. Jack's other half, yes. She just wasn't so sure about the professional half.

The short time she'd spent with Jack in the future hadn't really shown her a glimpse of that part of their lives and Jack had been promoted to general by then. Presumably she'd figured it out in all that time.

She sighed, feeling his presence before she saw him. "I feel like a fraud. This," she gestured vaguely at the mirror, "isn't me."

"It is you," Jack gently corrected her. His hands were warm on her bare shoulders as was the kiss he pressed to her nape. Despite her inner conflict, her body responded to his touch with a pleasant tingle of awareness. "It's just a you that hasn't gotten out before." He met her eyes in the mirror, a smile crinkling the corners of his eyes. "You're stunning."

Turning to face him, Faith felt her confidence rise just a little at the compliment. She'd have settled for merely adequate at the moment. "And you're not ready," she said, flicking a finger at his undone tie. "I thought I was supposed to be the late one."

Jack leaned forward to touch her lips carefully with his own. "You're just really early," he teased back, hands already at his tie. She watched, fascinated as the knot formed as if by magic. She'd seen him do it before, the few times he'd had to pull out his blues, but it hadn't gotten old yet. He tugged it snug then held his arms out for inspection. "All done. Will I do?"

"You'll more than do," she said, smoothing one hand down his chest. "You know, I never could understand the fascination most women have with uniforms. They're just clothes. But I'll admit to a certain appreciation when you're all dressed up." Somehow he'd charmed her out of her mood. It would probably return as soon as they walked in the doors, but Jack, as always, had known just what to say to make her feel better. "Sam's going to be there as well, right? She swore she'd be there."

Laughing, he took her hand and tugged her into motion. "Yes. She called while you were in the shower just to reassure you. You'll have someone to help you wade through the cesspool if I get dragged away."

That he mentioned it meant there was a high probability of it happening. She sighed once and let it drop, a little disgusted with herself. She'd faced the First with less trepidation. But at least with the First there had been a clear goal – get out of the encounter alive. And if she'd managed to take a chunk from the First at the same time, well, bonus points for her. The Fallen Comrades event wasn't that kind of battle unfortunately, but she set the same goal for herself nonetheless.

"Babe, you ready?"

She took one last look in the mirror, idly thankful she didn't have to worry about where to conceal a weapon, and nodded. "As I'll ever be."

Jack smiled and took her hand again. "I promise you'll end the evening with all the same parts as you started."

Following him down the hall, she reminded herself sternly, all you have to do is make it out alive.

* * *

"Sam, please tell me it's not always like this." Faith downed a large swallow of wine and struggled to ignore the hundreds of eyes on her.

"It's not always like this."

The blandly parroted reply had her narrowing her eyes at the other woman. "You might want to remember who's going to be kicking your ass during your next workout."

Sam laughed, apparently not taking the threat seriously. "No, it really isn't this bad. Just give them a little time to get used to the idea and they'll get over it."

The they she referred to was every female in the room and not a few of the men as well. The room had practically fallen silent when she and Jack had entered and at first Faith had the horrible thought they were in the wrong place. Jack had merely squeezed the hand tucked into his elbow and proceeded into the room. As Jack had assumed, they'd been separated not long after they'd arrived. Everyone, it seemed, had to speak with Colonel Jack O'Neill. Which had left Faith with the claw and hiss set until Sam had been able to rescue her just a minute ago. Her face must have been showing more of her thoughts than normal because Sam smiled and tugged her back just a little farther away from the bustle of the crowd.

"Faith, Colonel O'Neill is a highly respected officer with a distinguished career. People pay attention to him."

"That has nothing to do with me though, right? So why am I in the fish bowl?"

"He's also a very eligible bachelor. One who has never brought a guest to any function since his divorce."

And suddenly the undue attention made an uncomfortably perfect kind of sense. "None? No one?" Sam shook her head once. "Okay. No pressure there."

"No, there is no pressure, especially not from the colonel. Just be yourself and have a good time."

"In this rig?" She gestured to the dress and her hair. "Easier said than done."

"Faith, you look amazing. Ignore the gawkers and have fun."

The last was said with such a decisive tone of command that Faith had to laugh. "Yes, ma'am. Message understood." She took a sip of wine, actually tasting it this time, and turned to scan the crowded room of formally dressed people. "So hook me up already. Who should I not spill my drink on tonight?"

* * *

Jack absently nodded his agreement in the conversation, his attention focused across the room. If he'd thought it possible, he was even more nervous than Faith about this evening. This was the first event where she would have to play the part of the officer's other half. Sara had taken to the role quickly, despite her dislike of networking and hobnobbing. After his divorce, he hadn't given a thought to formal functions and how his personal life fit into them. Staring across the room, now he knew what the evening really was even if he'd chosen to ignore the little voice shouting at him – it was a test, for him and for her. He hated the political aspect of his job, yet not only his rank but his position within the SGC required him to play the game. He'd learned at least that much over the years. And now he needed to see how Faith would fit into the necessary evils.

Every instinct he had said she'd do fine once she recovered from the initial shock, but that did nothing to ease the knot in his gut. He saw Carter pull her out of the small knot of people surrounding them and the tension within him eased a tiny bit. He owed Carter, big time. She'd help Faith maneuver through the gauntlet of the military social function.

The next time he looked over, Faith was gone. Squashing the instant spike of worry, he quickly scanned the room only to find her conversing with a fast-tracking young major with blond hair and a big smile. There was no squashing the jealously that jumped right up his back as Faith returned the smile. He didn't like the feeling, didn't like the lack of trust it implied, but neither he nor Faith had actually said the words. There had been no formal acknowledgement of exclusivity despite the fact that they spent every day he was Earth-side together as well as most of their nights. He made a mental note to say something. In the meanwhile, he still didn't like it.

He'd known it would cause a stir, his bringing a date, but he hadn't anticipated the almost total attention of every person in the room. He knew Faith hadn't either, no matter the brave front she'd put on for him. The major smiled again, sending another lump of lead down into Jack's stomach. This really was intolerable.

Excusing himself from the small group he'd been listening to more than chatting with, he crossed the room with determined strides. Yeah, it was petty, juvenile even, but he was going to do it anyway. He'd always thought it looked stupid for a grown man to stake a claim and yet here he was about to look stupid himself.

He reached out to place his hand on her back, to let her know he was there, but she was already turning, her lips, eyes, her entire body smiling at his presence. Her small but strong hand wrapped around his bicep and pulled him in close to her side. And just that easy the lead melted, the jealousy vanishing in a puff of green smoke. He didn't have to stake any neanderthalistic kind of claim. There was no need to say anything about exclusivity. There was no need to say anything except, "Hey."

"Hey." Her face softened, her hand warm around his arm even through the layers of coat and shirt. "The major was just telling me about the upcoming marksmanship match. Apparently your team has some competition this year."

Jack turned to the major, not irked in the least by the other man's obvious boasting of his team. It was all part and parcel of the game. "Major Rastnik." He held out his right hand in greeting. The name was familiar for some reason, but he couldn't place it.

"Colonel O'Neill." His hand shake was firm and business-like. "Sir, it's a pleasure to see you again. I was aide to General Martin a few years ago,"

Ah. With a flash, Jack knew where he'd met the man – Bosnia and a successful recon mission that had led to the capture of five persons of interest. Rastnik had been a lieutenant then, but one Martin had appeared to have high hopes for. Apparently the general's eye for quality hadn't failed. "Don't assume that prior acquaintance will get you any mercy from my team next month."

"Wouldn't dream of it, sir."

They spent the next few minutes talking weapons and scopes before Rastnik was called away by a two-star.

"So," Jack said, turning Faith into him, "you've made yourself a few admirers."

"I'll admit this mingling thing isn't as bad as I thought it would be. Having Sam around also helped."

"And just maybe getting all fancied up is kind of fun?" He couldn't resist a little bit of teasing. She looked wonderful and he knew it would be a rare occasion he'd get to see her as she was this evening. He was going to enjoy it while he had the opportunity.

She smiled, a slow curve of her glossy lips. "Yeah, but getting un-fancied up will be a whole lot more fun."

Jack coughed and glanced quickly around them to see if anyone was in earshot. "Faith," he started but couldn't get any further.

She laughed, the bright sound bringing a smile to his face as well. "Relax, no one heard." She smoothed a hand over his tie, ostensibly straightening it. "What time was dinner again?"

As if in answer to her summons, the bugler appeared, dress blues immaculate, and sounded the call that would signal the guests to move into the elaborately decorated dining hall which doubled as the ballroom for the dancing later on.

Jack turned them, her hand still tucked comfortably in the crook of his elbow, and led her toward the double doors. "Behave yourself."

"Me?" Her eyes batted innocently up at him. "Why always, sir."

Jack laughed and squeezed her hand. "Yeah, right." He leaned down and kissed her lightly, suddenly wishing they weren't surrounded by hundreds of people. "Thank you for coming tonight."

"Thank you for wanting me to be here."

"Always, Faith." As he spoke he realized the words were absolutely true. Now he had to decide what to do about it.

* * *

"To the ladies!"

"The ladies!"

"The ladies," Jack repeated the traditional toast quietly, eyes holding steady on Faith's.

She sipped from her wine glass for at least the tenth time, fascinated instead of bored with the ceremony and seemingly never ending toasts. The Master of Ceremonies, an older chief master sergeant with a wicked sense of humor, had opened the evening with a witty monologue, drawing chuckles from the entire room. Faith had expected something of that sort. She hadn't expected a series of toasts shouted from the tables surrounding her and Jack varying from "to the Air Force" to the final one for the women.

"Gentlemen, please seat your ladies then take your chairs for a special presentation."

Glancing over as Jack settled next to her, Faith whispered, "What's this?" He was the one who knew what was going on.

"I'm not sure. It's not on the program, but I have a suspicion."

There was a frown on his face, more of confusion than dislike, but he didn't say anything else as the lights dimmed and a video came alive at the corner of the elevated platform where the MC stood. There was no voice over, no subtitles. It was simply a solemn piece of music Faith didn't recognize, a series of slides and a list of names and ranks flashing slowly over the images.

At the first image, her breath caught in her lungs, utterly frozen in place. September eleventh had been one of those pieces of knowledge she had wished she could forget about after her return from the future. When Jack had described the horrendous attacks, and their aftermath, it had seemed like the whole world had suddenly gone crazy. But the reality of living through it, knowing it was going to happen and yet unable to say a single word had been the true insanity. Saving a few random people from vampire attacks was completely different than altering the course of the entire world. Faith had long ago given up the belief that she was the ultimate authority on who should live and who should not.

Sitting in the dark, watching the stark still images of the Pentagon burning, she reached for Jack's hand under the table cloth and gripped it tightly. He returned the pressure, the absolute silence of the crowded ballroom a testament to the grief and shock still clinging to the nation as a whole.

As the final name disappeared from the screen, plain white letters hovered amid the pure black backgound – We can't change the past, only protect the future. You will never be forgotten.

"Ladies and gentlemen, please rise to honor our fallen from last month's attacks in a moment of silence."

Their hands brushing as they stood quietly side by side, Faith looked at Jack. She didn't know anyone personally affected in either New York or D.C., but she knew Jack had lost friends that day. Everyone in the room had probably lost friends that day. Many people she had known had died before, some in ways so horrible she would never describe to another being, and yet there was something worse about a mass attack by human means and not demon, something more insidiously evil. Human life had enough to defend itself against without turning inward, but that didn't seem to matter anymore.

The lights gradually brightened and the stillness was broken. "Please be seated. If you would direct your attention to the lone table to my left..."

The rest of the evening went by in a blur, the pomp and tradition of military customs both intricate and straightforward at the same time. By the time the dancing started, Faith was confident she could handle the part of Colonel O'Neill's significant other. His ease with their dinner partners, senior, peer and spouse, had paved the way for her to follow. In the end, it became as natural as breathing.

"Dance with me?"

She looked up, startled from her reverie at his voice. "Of course. But I'm not very good at it, I'm afraid."

"Neither am I." He smiled, fingers warm on hers as she rose. "We'll just have to muddle through then."

"I'm all for muddling with you."

Faith slipped into his arms, resting her head on his shoulder. They swayed more than danced as the mellow strains of a vaguely familiar song filled the ballroom. She felt him brush a light kiss over her temple and smiled. The world might go insane around them, but right then, her little slice of it was perfect.

* * *

Part 3 of the "Worth Fighting For" series complete.

* * *

Additional author's notes: Time line, chronologically

1. 'Every Story Has Two Sides' - 1999 - Jack and Faith first meet.

2. 'Worth Fighting For' – early 2005 - Faith sent forward around 3 years (not exactly '3' years) in time and spends a week in the future married to Jack.

3. 'And It Begins' - Around mid 2001 - Faith sent back to 'correct' time (back approximately '3' years) and meets Jack for the second time chronologically.

I do also have a CONTINUITY NOTE at the beginning of 'Worth Fighting For': "I've fiddled with the time line just a little so don't bother trying to add up the years. It'll all make sense, I promise."


	7. Sequel alert!

Sequel Alert!

The sequel to "And It Begins" is complete and has started posting one part per week. Please look for "Interference Well Met," Part 4 of the "Worth Fighting For" series.

Thanks for reading!

Eleri


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